Another day and more backstory! Not sure what others think, but it is helping me a great deal. Thanks for reading! Kiminoki was supposed to keep the door locked, but often she forgot. Perhaps she forgot on purpose. Locking others out meant locking herself in, and hearing the click of the bolt spiraled her mood. …
More backstory. This involves a character who becomes involved in a dangerous organization, and it is what sets her on the path to meet our heroines. Thanks for reading! Modest and quiet Oxya-Fen was born to ordinary Venusian parents soon after the Mercury conflict came to a close. But her parents told her little about …
It must be a kind of madness to think I can do this challenge twice in one year. Nonetheless... Today I'm working on more backstory. I decided to write about the night the parents of one of my main characters met. Thanks for reading! Kiminoki arrived late to the ball, and it wasn’t until she …
And on the third day there was more writing. So, like I said previously, I'm creating a religion for my alternate universe. I want it to be an alternate version of Christianity, so each retelling of some biblical tale should look familiar but also be different. This won't be for everyone, obviously. But I'm okay …
And day two is here. Again, I'm sticking to the current work-in-progress. Today I wrote about events that happened years before the story opens. Yesterday, I was listening to interviews with a couple of authors whose work I enjoy--Theodora Goss and Catherynne M. Valente. I read several of Valente's books last year and fell for …
Welcome to September and my favorite time of year! It may still be close to 100 degrees today in my corner of the planet, but it is fall in my heart. Anyway, I've signed on for Story-a-Day September. This time around I'll be avoiding most of the prompts since I have something close to a …
Tomorrow, the journey into Story-a-Day September begins! I have plans, a map of sorts, but it's likely the map will be tossed along the way. This trip is meant to be fun, and I love a tangent. But then again, maybe I'll stick to the route. We shall see. I'm working on that sci-fi fairytale. …
Rewrites! Massive rewrites! I've brought a character back to life. I've deleted scenes and added others. I asked myself questions about character motivations and goals. The answers have pointed out plot holes and inconsistencies. I may not be up to the task of making this story work, I'm trying anyway. Since the story takes place …
I recently read Austin Kleon's post about self-help books. One part of his post that really struck me was this: In Josh Shenk’s book, Lincoln’s Melancholy, he points out how the rise of individualism in America gave rise to the culture of self-improvement and self-help: At the same time that “self-made” entered the nation’s lexicon, …
I'm fortunate enough to know Nicky Drayden, and I'm smart enough to have read her amazing first novel, The Prey of Gods. That was a terrific, rollicking sci-fi read. Do you see that little girl on the cover? Drayden's stories are imaginative, horrifying, and funny. Now her second novel, Temper, is out. So, go read …
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 